Most cases of cysticercosis affect the muscles or the skin and, in such cases, it is common for no symptoms to appear. Thus, treatment is generally not necessary because the body is able to eliminate the larvae.
However, when the larvae affect the eyes it is very common for symptoms such as double or blurred vision to appear, requiring treatment to avoid complications such as blindness. Thus, the doctor can prescribe vermifuge remedies, such as:
- Albendazole; Praziquantel.
In addition, it may be necessary to use corticosteroids, such as Betamethasone or Prednisolone, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, according to the symptoms presented by each person to relieve discomfort.
In cases of cysticercosis in the heart or more severe cases, in which the symptoms do not improve with treatment, it may be necessary to have surgery at the hospital, with general anesthesia, to remove the larvae from the body's tissues.
How to treat cerebral cysticercosis
Cerebral cysticercosis is one of the most serious forms of the disease, as the larva can cause brain damage, causing severe symptoms or complications. Therefore, treatment is usually done in the hospital with drugs directly in the vein.
Although the vermifuge remedies used in these cases are the same, before starting their administration, the doctor usually tries to control the symptoms caused by the larvae in the brain, such as seizures, through the use of anticonvulsants, such as Phenytoin or Carbamazepine, and corticosteroids, for decrease brain swelling.
Prevention of cysticercosis
To prevent cysticercosis, it is recommended:
- Drink drinking water, mineral or filtered; Always wash your hands, especially before meals and after using the bathroom; Prepare food well, washing it with clean or filtered water; Do not fertilize the earth with human feces or sewage water; Do not consume food that is suspected to have been prepared in poor hygiene.
In addition to these precautions, it is important not to irrigate the garden with river water and to give clean water to the animals.
In most cases, cysticercosis appears as a complication of a specific type of tapeworm, Taenia solium, so the treatment of teniasis should be done as soon as possible. See how to identify and treat teniasis.
